Wife charged with hitting husband with truck

A Canonsburg woman was arrested Thursday by borough police, less than 24 hours after she allegedly hit her husband with his pickup truck in the parking lot of a North Jefferson Avenue bar.

Tina Louise Olinger, 41, of 14 E. Pitt St., was arraigned before District Judge David Mark on charges including attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and aggravated and simple assault with a weapon. She is accused of striking 54-year-old Kevin Charles Olinger with his truck in the parking lot behind D’s Locker Room, 26 N. Jefferson Ave., just after 9 p.m.

Police Officer Matthew Tharp said the two had been at the bar for less than an hour when they got into an argument. Court records indicate the two were arguing about her reportedly backing into something with his truck. After about two drinks, the couple left and continued the argument in the parking lot.

A resident of an apartment building adjacent to the parking lot told police she heard the argument and looked out her window. She saw a man, later identified as Olinger, standing in front of a truck arguing with a woman inside the vehicle, later identified as Tina Olinger.

Tina Olinger reportedly accelerated the vehicle as her husband hung on to the hood. He was still holding on when she reportedly accelerated the truck again. The truck hit her husband and he fell over, hitting his head on an unknown object.

“She just gunned it,” said police Sgt. Al Coghill.

When Tharp arrived, he found Kevin Olinger lying on his right side with a laceration on the top of his head. He was unresponsive. Olinger was flown from Canonsburg General Hospital to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he was listed in critical condition Thursday afternoon. Police said he suffered a broken skull and bleeding on the brain.

Tina Olinger fled the scene. The truck was found outside the couple’s home a short time after the incident. There were hand marks on the hood and fender. The truck was impounded.

Police know the couple from previous domestic incidents. Kevin Olinger was arrested in April 2012 on charges of simple assault and harassment for allegedly hitting his wife in the face. On March 16, he was arrested by borough police on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment for allegedly grabbing his wife by the neck during an argument. Both cases were dismissed at the time of the preliminary hearings.

Tina Olinger was placed in Washington County Jail on $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 13 before Mark.